


Sick Day

by SadistiKitteh



Series: Boundshipping AU [6]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24395272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadistiKitteh/pseuds/SadistiKitteh
Summary: Bakura tries and fails to hide he's sick and care for himself. Yugi steps in to make sure he does. A fevered confession slips out.
Relationships: Thief King Bakura/Mutou Yuugi
Series: Boundshipping AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1448101
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	Sick Day

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: This isn't a Covid-19 fic xD
> 
> I drafted this before the pandemic even happened, and the moment I realized the symptoms Bakura has is VERY SIMILAR, I cringed... but kept it in. So if you're concerned, he's just got a nasty cold that is aggravating his undiagnosed asthma. (Apologies to fellow asthmatics that get sympathy aches from this fic, as I did a bit while writing :P)

Bakura’s body burned and his muscles ached. He splayed on his bed, listening carefully for any movement between himself and the kitchen. He didn’t want to bump into any of Yugi’s family and get them sick. Sure, he’d experienced sickness after getting vaccinations, but it felt nothing like this.

He could fight this on his own and survive it, he’d been able to hide his illness well so far.

But he needed more water. And more medicine.

Soon.

He slowly got up from bed, fighting back a shiver at just how cold he felt. He swaddled himself in his bathrobe and slunk into the kitchen. He grabbed a large glass and filled it with water. All he needed was something for the coughs and fever.

When he turned, Bakura nearly jumped seeing Yugi. His urgency made him foolish, he realized.

“Thirsty?” Yugi said, smiling, “That’s a pretty big glass there, Bakura.”

Bakura only grunted, not wanting to speak or give away he was ill. However the action set off a reaction, making him gasp and turn away as coughs wracked his lungs. Curse his body’s weakness, damn his broken lungs.

Yugi rushed to Bakura’s side as he wheezed, finally catching his breath as Yugi rubbed his back. “Are you okay? I’m sorry if I… Oh, wow, you look really not okay.”

Bakura shot Yugi with a withering glare, taking a drink from his glass. “I’ll live.”

“Your breathing doesn’t sound good. And you’re so…”

Yugi put a hand to Bakura’s forehead, and Bakura leaned into the cool touch. Just like that it was withdrawn, Yugi yanking his hand away. “Okay, you’re going to bed. Now. Get!”

Bakura blinked. He hadn’t been directed like that since...longer than he can remember at the moment.

“Go!” Yugi pushed Bakura towards his room, “I’ll get you medicine and a thermometer, you’re burning up and you should not _be_ up.”

Well, he definitely wasn’t going to say no.

Bakura didn’t exactly go right to bed. He felt exhausted after such an intense coughing fit, and he doubted Yugi could scold him for resting on the couch. When Yugi did find him, he looked worried. “I think you need to see a doctor, Bakura. That was a bad cough.”

“Just happens when I’m sick.”

“It shouldn’t,” Yugi offered a couple pills, waiting for Bakura to take it with his water before taking his temperature. “How long have you been sick for, Bakura?”

“A few days. Your mother thought I was being considerate for staying away while sick.”

“She probably didn’t realize how bad it was for you.”

Yugi stared at the thermometer, only relaxing when seeing the number finally pop up. “Okay, that’s not as bad as I thought, but…”

Bakura scoffed, sitting back and crossing his arms. “Worried about me, Mutou?”

“Yep.”

“I was fine, you know.”

“You have a fever and you didn’t notice me coming into the kitchen. Once that fever goes down more, I’m taking you to a clinic.”

Bakura smirked, lolling his head onto the back of the couch. “A bit much, isn’t it? Like this will kill me.”

Yugi sighed, then stared at Bakura so intensely that he wanted to turn away. “You’re my friend, Bakura. And I care about you. It sounds like it’s hard for you to breathe, and that’s not normal even when you’re sick.”

Bakura couldn’t help it; he started to laugh, his wheezing breaths becoming more prominent until it sent him into another smaller fit. Yugi offered him water, looking a lot more openly concerned now. “Bakura…”

Bakura was still under that gaze, surprised by Yugi’s genuine concern. “You’re actually worried.”

Yugi nodded, the concern shifting to sadness momentarily. “I am.”

Suddenly, Yugi moved closer, kissing Bakura’s forehead before hugging him gently. “I care about you a lot, believe it or not.”

Bakura froze, eyes wide from the sudden affection. His lungs ached at his sudden breathlessness, a wheeze escaping his throat before he rested his hands on Yugi’s back.

“That sounds even worse up close,” Yugi said into Bakura’s shoulder, but didn’t move.

“Yeah.”

A moment passed, the two just holding each other. Bakura’s mind focused on the kiss to his forehead, how intimate it was and yet they were only friends.

Right?

Bakura couldn’t believe he was trying to think of any point where he showed any similar affections with Ryou or even Joey. Anything to rationalize this moment. Anything to tell himself there was no way Yugi felt anything more for him than he did his other friend, that simply wasn’t possible.

...Right?

“I think I’ll take a cool bath, try to sleep. If the coughing gets worse, we’ll go today.”

Yugi pulled back, looking at Bakura confused. “No, we need–”

“ _I_ need rest,” Bakura chuckled, lazily brushing his hand over Yugi’s arm, “If you want to check on me, then do so. This won’t kill me, Mutou, promise.”

Yugi relaxed some, either not noticing or not caring that Bakura still held onto him. “Alright. Tell me if you need help, okay?”

Bakura nodded, allowing Yugi to pull out of his arms. He forced himself to move, grabbing himself a towel before heading to the bathroom for his bath.

All he could think while relaxing in the bath was the feeling of Yugi’s embrace, and how right it felt to be there. He chuckled to himself, rubbing his face. “Damn, touch starved much?”

He felt more like himself as the water brought his temperature down. After quickly shampooing his hair, Bakura drained the tub and toweled himself off. He wrapped his naked body back in his robe, using the towel to run through his hair as he headed back to his room.

When Bakura got there, he realized that Yugi had been busy. There were more pillows on his bed, enough to keep him elevated as he slept. He had stacked his two pillows before, but it looked like Yugi used his own pillows to add cushion for his back. A thick looking quilt also replaced his blankets.

He climbed into it, groaning softly at how thoroughly the pillows cushioned his still aching body. Sure, the bath had helped cool him down, but he still felt sore. He could easily doze here for hours.

He opened an eye when he heard a light knock, spotting Yugi poking his head into the room. Yugi had tied his hair up, and the smile on his face made Bakura’s heart flutter. Bakura could easily blame his fever as he gave an almost dopey smile in return. “S’comfy. Thanks, Mutou.”

“I’m glad, I thought it would help you sleep better.”

Yugi hesitated, then stepped inside, his cheeks reddening as he held out a bowl of some kind of rice dish. “I don’t know if you’d like this, but I always ate this when I got sick. It’s Okayu.”

Bakura chuckled, settling deeper into the comfort of the pillows. “Pampering me, are you?”

“No, I’m taking care of you. My mother would do the same if she realized how sick you were getting.”

Bakura hummed, trying not to think about what his own would do. Yet his fevered brain didn’t want to listen. “My mother would sleep next to me to make sure I would make the night.”

“...Oh.”

Dammit, why did he say that? “Forget I said that, it’s the fever.”

Yugi approached Bakura, waiting for him to take the bowl before speaking again. “If it helps, I can stay with you while you nap.”

Bakura paused, spoon hovering inches from his open mouth. He set it back into the bowl slowly. “I was a child, I’m sure I won’t have as much difficulty with my illness as I did then.”

“My mother still makes me food when I’m sick, even if I could make it myself.” Yugi leaned a little against the nightstand, “Even if you’re older, it’s comforting to be cared for.”

Bakura was about to say how he’d gone this long without it, but decided on silence with the bite of okayu. He couldn’t taste much, but the warmth eased the soreness of his throat and went down easily.

Yugi smiled, easily seeing Bakura’s pleased expression as he ate. “If you like, I can lend you one of my handheld games to play.”

Bakura shook his head. “I should rest. You’ve done enough anyway.”

He hesitated then, looking at Yugi almost sheepishly. “And...thank you, Yugi.”

If Yugi was happy before, he looked absolutely elated now. A hint of a blush coloured Yugi’s cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head. “It’s no problem, I’ll come by again to give you more medicine when it’s time.”

Bakura nodded, watching Yugi leave. Perhaps it was the fever, but he never realized how handsome Yugi was until that moment. He looked at the bowl, slowly putting another spoonful of okayu into his mouth.

A part of him hoped the fever would stop soon, so he didn’t think of these things for a close friend like Yugi. But another part of him, deep inside, told him being ill was just a convenient excuse.

* * *

Yugi walked into the room that night to find all the pillows tossed away, and Bakura lying on his back with a defeated expression. He walked over to set down the cup of water he’d brought. “Uncomfortable?”

Bakura shook his head no, and he could hear Bakura’s breathing was worse flat on his back. Yugi helped him sit up, and Bakura didn’t fight him. “Nightmare?”

Bakura froze, glancing at Yugi with a guarded expression. That told Yugi all he needed to know.

“I’ll put the pillows back and I’ll stay a while, if that will help.”

“S’just go look at stars.” Bakura murmured. He meant to say ‘let’s just stargaze’, but the combination of his fever and being suddenly woken made it hard to communicate.

Yugi collected up the pillows, setting them up and guiding Bakura back onto them. He climbed onto the bed, offering Bakura the glass of water. He wanted to be close to Bakura and comfort him, even if he was sick. Something Bakura clearly disproved of.

“I d’wanna get you sick.”

“I’ll be alright. If I’m sick, you can play nurse for me and let me have an earful then.”

Yugi settled onto the pillows, taking the glass to put on the bedside table once Bakura was finished with it. Bakura felt less miserable with Yugi there, he realized. Yugi had stayed by his bedside, made him food he could eat, got him medicine on the hour. It wasn’t necessary, but Yugi went this far for him.

“Y’don’t have to feel guilty, y’know,” Bakura turned to face Yugi, “or make anything up to me. Like hell dragon dick would let me fuck up his plans for anythin’.”

Yugi blinked in confusion, then smiled awkwardly realizing what Bakura was referring to. “It’s not that, Bakura. I told you, I really do care about you. You’ve had a fever all day and it spiked a couple times, I’m...worried.”

Bakura blinked, just barely able to comprehend what Yugi was saying. He sighed, settling deeper into his pillows and taking Yugi’s hand. “Not gonna die on you, Mutou. You spoil me.”

“Kings are allowed to be a bit spoiled.”

Bakura wasn’t sure he heard that right, so he only hummed in response.

Yugi still held his hand, and that alone made it difficult to breathe for another reason. He craved this kind of intimacy but would never admit it, even in a fevered state. But he couldn’t hide how happy it made him, and he smiled when Yugi settled a little closer.

He craved contact. It was something Malik tried to offer, but it felt like he was desperately trying to get something out of Bakura that he couldn’t give. But with Yugi? It was warmth, reassurance, and there was something so satisfying in how Yugi tuned into his needs that he couldn’t help a sigh of contentment.

Yugi stroked a hand through his hair, picking up the damp cloth at his bedside to fan his face with. Bakura swore if he didn’t still feel the uncomfortable rattle in his lungs, he would think he was with his village again. Foggy memories of his mother blowing softly against his sweat-drenched forehead came and went.

This is what love was, wasn’t it? He only ever remembered this kind of care from his mother, and Bakura knew for sure she loved him.

Did Yugi love him?

Yugi said time and time again he cared about Bakura, yet he’d never seen Yugi be this close with his friends.

Maybe Joey, but definitely not on the level he was experiencing now.

It was the intimacy in sharing details of his life, things he was sure Yugi never shared with his friends. The moments they watched stars together through the skylight, Yugi letting him overwrite old saves and watching excitedly as Bakura experienced a new game, how he could so easily tell Yugi about his own past; encouraging the good memories and comforting through the bad.

Bakura looked up at Yugi’s face as the crease of concern melted into a nervous smile. Bakura squeezed Yugi’s hand, softly repeating himself.

“M’not gonna die on you.”

Yugi only nodded, though he could see now Yugi wasn’t fully convinced this time.

Bakura did the only thing that he thought would ease Yugi’s mind. He pulled back the covers and shifted over, looking at his lap as if he couldn’t handle the implications of his invitation.

He wasn’t too surprised when Yugi climbed into bed with him. What caught him off guard was Yugi folding the cool face cloth on his head to wrap both arms around Bakura. Bakura’s arms cautiously wound around Yugi’s middle, letting himself relax in Yugi’s arms.

That was the last thing he remembered before he slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

Yugi drove Bakura to a clinic the next morning, and he came home with orders to rest and medicine that could help ease his symptoms. The doctor also recommended Bakura get a sort of breathing test done one he’d recovered, but his mind was in too much of a sleepy fog to remember the name.

The moment Yugi helped him into bed, he hesitated at the door. Bakura smiled sleepily, pulling his blanket aside as an invitation.

Yugi chuckled, a dust of red growing on his cheeks. “Give me a moment, I’ll get you water and a face cloth first.”

“Thanks, Mutou.” Bakura said as Yugi left, relaxing into the nest of pillows.

He could fool himself into thinking Yugi was embarrassed by how worried he was, but he couldn’t mistake the intimacy this time. Yugi didn’t need to comfort him that way, hold him that way, yet he did.

He couldn’t tell if it was exhaustion at being awake so early or the fever that had yet to pass that made Bakura smile at Yugi’s return.

Bakura greedily drank from the glass before letting Yugi place it by the bed, sighing softly when Yugi dabbed his face with the cloth and fanned it while the water still dampened his skin.

“Y’r ‘mazing.” Bakura mumbled, eyes slipping shut.

“I bet that feels nice, huh?” Yugi said, Bakura could almost hear Yugi’s smile.

Bakura hummed in agreement, moving closer to Yugi. Yugi’s gentle strokes across his face with the cool cloth soothed him and made falling back to sleep inviting. The medicine aided this, as he had felt drowsy since taking it.

Yugi stopped using the cloth, draping it on Bakura’s forehead to use his cooled hand against the back of Bakura’s neck. Bakura sighed, curling against Yugi’s body. The words came easily, unexpectedly, before he could silence the thoughts that put them there.

“L’ve you.”

Bakura felt the hands still, but was too exhausted to pull himself out of sleep and explain himself. Before he could even know how Yugi responded, Bakura had slipped into unconsciousness.

Yugi’s hands stilled at the confession, so sudden from the sick man tucked against him that he swore he misheard. He looked down to ask if Bakura really meant it, but it was clear he wouldn’t respond.

As desperate as Yugi was for an answer, the doctor did say Bakura needed rest.

Yugi leaned down, pressing his lips just above the cloth on Bakura’s forehead.

“Love you too, Bakura.”

Yugi’s heart ached, knowing he would be too scared to say it to Bakura while he was awake.

**Author's Note:**

> First hint of actual boundshipping this fic c;
> 
> Well, not the _first_ , but definitely the most obvious~


End file.
